HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3158        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2939

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul A. Schmid, III

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act protecting the viability of farms in the Commonwealth.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

1/20/2017

Paul Brodeur

32nd Middlesex

2/3/2017

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

1/24/2017

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

1/23/2017

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

2/3/2017

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

2/1/2017

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

1/30/2017

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

2/3/2017

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

1/24/2017

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

1/23/2017

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

2/3/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3158        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2939

By Mr. Schmid of Westport, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2939) of Paul A. Schmid, III and others for legislation to protect the viability of farms and farming in the Commonwealth.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 748 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act protecting the viability of farms in the Commonwealth.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 30A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following:-

Section 18. All state and regional agencies, boards and commissions shall, before any rule, regulation, or other regulatory requirement is promulgated, make public and post in writing whether or not such rule, regulation, or other regulatory requirement will potentially have an adverse impact on commercial agricultural operations based in the Commonwealth. For the purposes of this section, “agricultural” shall mean pertaining to agriculture as defined in section one A of chapter one hundred and twenty-eight. Further, if such rule, regulation, or other regulatory requirement is determined to have such a potential impact on agriculture, the responsible agency, board, or commission, in conjunction with the department of food and agriculture, shall conduct an impact assessment to determine the extent of such impact, including, but not limited to, the effect on future land use and related environmental impacts, including costs, and submit to the joint committee on natural resources and agriculture and to the house and senate committees on ways and means a copy of their findings at least forty-five days prior to promulgation.

All city and town agencies, boards, and commissions shall, before enacting any rule, regulation, law, bylaw, ordinance, or other regulatory requirement that will potentially have an adverse impact on commercial agricultural operations based in the Commonwealth, complete a form prescribed by the department of food and agriculture at least ninety days prior to final enactment of the regulatory requirement. In the case of by-laws, ordinances, and other requirements subject to review by the Attorney General, such form shall be submitted to the department of food and agriculture on the same date a by-law, ordinance, or other requirement is submitted to the Attorney General. No regulatory action described in this section, except those of an emergency nature expiring in six months or less for the purposes of protecting health and safety of persons, shall take effect until the provisions of this section have been complied with.